Boston Common
by mistymorningwritings
Summary: Alex has a special surpise for Jo on Valentine's Day.


Valentine's Day.

Jo Wilson couldn't care less about this day, particularly this year. She had had the week that came from hell. In the last few days she had assisted on 3 surgeries where the patient ended up dying. Although respectful at work, Meredith Grey continued to have a hostile attitude towards her and Jo still had no clue where that came from all of a sudden. Then there was this thing with Stephanie. She was the only one who had figured out girl Shepherd's plan about Dr. Herman's tumour and now she got to assist when they took it out. After Grey's 3D printing lab and Bailey's genome project that was like the 3rd big project Stephanie got to be a part of. Jo was genuinely happy for her. She was. But there was no denying that she was jealous too. It had been a while since Jo got to really excel as a surgeon herself and these days she felt like the only thing she excelled at was being the attending's board bitch. That was so not the career path she had worked towards. She felt like she was falling behind, while others were moving forward.

She wished she had somebody to talk to about all this. But she couldn't go to Stephanie, because that would make her look like a begrudging bitch. And Alex was… Alex was everything to her, but she didn't feel like talking to him either. He was so absent and oblivious lately; entirely devoted to supporting Grey during her marriage crisis. Although he had assured her, that this wouldn't come between them, Jo felt like they were drifting apart.

She was just coming home from an exhausting 48-hour shift and all she wanted to do right now, was curl up on the couch and watch some bad movies on TV, while stuffing herself with popcorn. Thank God her and Alex hadn't made plans for Valentine's Day.

Half an hour later she stood corrected, as she found herself at the passenger seat of Alex's car, who wanted to take her on a little Valentine's trip.

"Tell me, where are we going?" Jo demanded.

"I told you, it's a surprise. You'll see when we're there," Alex replied.

Jo was not in the mood for surprises, but since Alex refused to give anything away, she surrendered to the waiting game. She looked out of the window, while playing around with the slouchy beanie in her hands. It was pretty cold, but not too cold. The fact that Alex had insisted that she put on a coat and a hat nonetheless, led Jo to believe that wherever he was taking her, it would not be a nice and cosy restaurant. That was the first thing she assumed, when Alex told her he had a Valentine's surprise for her. Normally neither Jo nor Alex cared much for Valentine's Day; therefore Jo was pretty baffled that Alex had planned something at all, especially because he seemed to be so preoccupied lately. The fact that it seemed to be an outdoor activity was even more astonishing as her boyfriend wasn't known to be a very outdoorsy person.

She looked and him and smiled. The beanie looked good on him, though.

Alex stopped the car at a small parking lot. Jo put on her hat, got out of the car and looked around, while Alex picked something up from the backseat. In front of them was a park, equipped with a small playground. Bare trees and empty park benches gave the place a lonely atmosphere. Was this were Alex wanted to take her? To some random park in Seattle? In February? This could have been a romantic idea in spring or summer but in winter abandoned parks were sort of depressing.

Alex reached for her hand. "Come on. We're almost there."

With Jo's hand in one and the plastic bag he had picked up from the backseat in the other, he entered the park. They crossed the playground, climbed a small hill and stopped in front of a small fishpond. The ducks in the pond started quaking and swam towards them as soon as they noticed them.

"Aaand here we are," Alex said with an all-encompassing hand movement. "Welcome to the Boston Common."

Now Jo was totally confused. "The what? Are you messing with me?"

"Not at all. But you'll need this," He handed her the plastic bag.

Upon seeing the sliced bread in the bag, Jo knew what this was all about and a huge smile appeared on her face.

"You came here to feed the ducks with me? Like in that make-believe childhood memory I told you about? You remembered that?"

Alex smiled and nodded and Jo laughed and threw herself into his arms.

Then she started feeding the ducks which eagerly awaited her at the pond bank.

"But how did you come up with that idea? And why now? I told you that story ages ago," Jo asked while she tore apart the bread.

"I don't know. I just thought Valentine's Day might be the right occasion. Also I noticed I might not have been the best boyfriend lately, because I spent so much time with Meredith and all her drama. I wanted to make up for that and give you something you've never had plenty of - a happy childhood memory. Sadly I couldn't conjure a father for you, but at least I could give you the ducks and the Common."

Jo frowned. "Funny, I always thought the Boston Common was bigger and you know… in Boston," she taunted.

"Would you shut up and just feed the damn ducks?"

Jo handed him some bread. "I love my present but that memory won't be complete, unless you feed them with me."

And so they stood there feeding the ducks together. Jo asked Alex how he had found this park, since she was pretty sure he wasn't exactly familiar with the parks in Seattle, despite the fact that he had been living here for years. Alex told her that the mother of a patient had recommended it to him. Jo chuckled silently about her boyfriend's resourcefulness. He would always find a way to make big gestures with only little means.

After a while the bread was gone and some remaining ducks haggled over the last crumbs. The sun was slowly setting and when a cold wind got up Alex stepped behind Jo to guard her from the gust. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. His head rested on hers and beanie against beanie, they watched the sun disappear behind the neighbouring houses.

"Jo?"

"Mhm?"

"You know you can always talk to me, right? About anything?"

The sudden seriousness in his tone made her uneasy. "Wha… What do you mean? Why do you say that?"

Alex tried to act nonchalantly about it. "I don't know. No reason. It's just that I feel like something's been bothering you lately. Is it still about Meredith?"

"No. I mean yes, partly. But I can handle that on my own. It's about work, actually." Jo told him about Stephanie and her big breakthrough with Herman's tumour. That she felt like everybody was moving forward, achieving great things, while she was treading water. That she was jealous of her best friend's success and felt like crap for it.

"Well, take it from the guy whose friends are also his bosses, being jealous of your friends is normal and it doesn't make you a horrible person," Alex appeased her. "Besides, I know you're happy for her too. Remember, you paused for her."

Jo chuckled at the memory.

Alex leaned forward to be even closer to her as he continued, "And don't you ever doubt that you're a great surgeon. Because I know you are. I'm sure your time to shine will come too."

In that moment Jo felt so safe and protected, that she let down her guard in a way she never did before. Into the silence she whispered the words she had never said, to anybody, ever.

"I love you, Alex."

At first Alex didn't react to her words and Jo already thought they had gotten lost in the wind. But then she felt his lips on her skin as he planted a soft kiss on her cheek. "I know. And I love you too."

"You knew? But I never said it. How could you be sure?" Jo asked.

"I was sure since the day you showed up at my door, dressed like a freaking fairy, trying everything to win me back, although I had acted like a total jerk."

Then he couldn't resist teasing her a little. "You realise you saying the words today of all days makes you a walking and talking Valentine's cliché, right?"

Jo knew better than to take him seriously. "Ha! Look who's talking", she turned in his arms to face him, "You are the guy who made his girlfriend a super sweet and thoughtful present. One of the money-can't-buy kind. You're just as much of a Valentine's cliché as I am."

Alex wanted to return something, but Jo shut his mouth with a quick kiss.

"Alex?" she mumbled as she let go of him.

"Yeah?"

"I love that we're both Valentine's clichés today."

He smiled at her and said, "Me too."


End file.
